BC Ministry of Education: 2008 October 16
VICTORIA – Students across the province will have the opportunity to experience first-hand what life was like 150 years ago in B.C.’s one-room schoolhouses, through the new BC150 Resources website, Education Minister Shirley Bond announced today.
“This website offers students the opportunity to explore the history of B.C.’s education system through archival photos and stories about the pioneer teachers who taught in one-room schoolhouses throughout our province,” said Bond. “I want to thank the students and teachers at Anniedale Traditional School, École Marigold School and Marie Sharpe Elementary for participating in this project and helping to bring B.C.’s history to life.”
Teachers will have access to the following resources that can be used to supplement the regular social studies curriculum:
- B.C. Education: The Story of the One-Room Schoolhouse, a set of activities illustrating the history of education through images and stories of remote schoolhouses in the province.
- Far West: The Story of British Columbia, a book that was written by award-winning B.C. author and Canadian historian Daniel Francis, and a teacher guide that supports the book chronicling B.C.’s cultural past, from the first Aboriginal people to present day.
- The Rush to B.C. activity page, a set of interactive student activities focused on explorers, fur traders and gold miners.
B.C. History in Action, a teacher’s guide to exploring history through drama for grades kindergarten to 7 and 8 to 12.
All schools will also receive a copy of the commemorative book, British Columbia: Spirit of the People by Jean Barman. Students, parents and teachers are encouraged to access BC150 Resources using the button found at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/bc150/.
“BC150 is an opportunity to gain a new appreciation of our rich history and the compelling, inspirational, and sometimes dramatic, stories that have shaped our province,” said Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Bill Bennett. “This is a timeless resource where students can learn about our shared past, and develop a better understanding of where we’ve come from as a province and where we may be headed in the future.”
The website was developed after schools were invited to design, build and fill a memory box that tells the story of life in B.C.’s one-room schoolhouses in the late 1800s. Anniedale Traditional School in Surrey, École Marigold School in Greater Victoria and Marie Sharpe Elementary in Williams Lake each received a grant of $2,500 to collect the historical objects and write stories that go with them. Since the artifacts are too delicate to go to every school, a virtual tour was created so all students have the chance to experience the one-room schoolhouses and learn more about the adventures, struggles, people and events that have shaped B.C.’s identity.
BC150 is a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia in 1858. Every community in B.C. is invited to participate in this year-long celebration of the province’s cultural diversity, community strength and widespread achievement. For more information on BC150 programs and events, visit www.BC150.ca.
1 factsheet(s) attached.
